


Stitches

by Larry_Klaine_Stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 19:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/690636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson/pseuds/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys are walking through a large crowd, headed to an interview, when Louis gets stabbed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stitches

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a prompt fill on Tumblr.

It was the boys' first day in America in ages, and they had a bunch of interviews to get done that day. They arrived at the airport and piled into a car, which was driven to the first radio station at which they were being interviewed. The car pulled up in front of the building, and the boys got out.

If they thought the fans had been crazy last time they were here, then they had no clue what to call them now. There were thousands upon thousands of people lining the streets. So much so that it was hard for them to even get the car doors open to get out.

"We do have the most dedicated fans." Zayn said with a chuckle as he shoved the door open, hoping the few teenage girls who were crowded around it would get out of the way.

"Wish they'd step back just a bit, though." Louis said. "I worry about them getting hurt out there."

"There're a lot more than there used to be, eh, lads?" Niall asked.

Everyone nodded, and they stepped out of the car.

Security tried to rally them all up and get them inside as quickly as possible, but they were never ones to shy away from fans, wanting them to know how much they appreciated their support, and the fact that they would take time out of their day to be there.

Harry had been the first one out of the car, so naturally he was in front, setting the pace for all the boys behind him. He wanted to take his time, waving at everyone, and giving them a chance to take a picture if they so wished. They couldn't stop and shake hands and say hello to everyone like they used to when they were first starting out on X Factor. Things had gotten way too crazy for that, with far too many people crowding around them. But they didn't want to seem ungrateful for all the love and attention they got. They never wanted to become the kind of people who took this all for granted, because honestly, without the fans, they'd be nowhere right now.

Harry was standing on his tip-toes, waving to a group of shorter girls who might not have been able to see him, had he not been trying to make himself visible to them, when he heard it. A small cry of pain from a few feet behind him, and he was sure it was Louis.

He turned around faster than he thought possible, whipping himself around to face his boyfriend, and seeing him collapsed on the ground, holding his stomach. Harry shoved past Liam and Zayn, kneeling down beside Louis. There was a security guard on the other side of him asking him what was wrong, but he wasn't speaking. Harry grabbed Louis' hand, removing it from his abdomen and seeing that it was coated with the older boy's own blood.

"He's hurt. Someone's hurt him!" Harry yelled. "Someone call 911! Please!"

The security guard removed Louis' hand from Harry's grasp, and Harry listened as hundreds of girls, as well as Niall, called 911. He figured he ought to tell the fans to stop calling. That he didn't need everyone to call, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.

"This looks pretty bad." The security guard said. "Did anyone see who did this?" He asked, standing up and looking around at the crowd. No one seemed to have seen, however.

Harry didn't understand. With so many people crowded around, how could no one have seen? Had no one seen the person flee? Surely whoever did this wasn't just standing around a with a bloody knife in their pocket waiting for the ambulance to arrive. They must have left, and surely someone had seen them. But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was that Louis was alright, and at this point, Harry didn't know if he would be.

"Lou?" Harry asked softly, leaning in close to Louis. The rest of the boys had gathered around, but they were giving Louis his space. Harry, however, was not going to leave his boyfriend's side no matter what. "Boo Bear." He said softly. "Please answer me, love."

Louis' eyes opened slowly, and he blinked softly. Harry watched as all of the light left his eyes, and he struggled to keep them open as blood continued to seep out of the wound.

"Louis, stay with me." Harry pleaded, refusing to let his tears fall. "Just keep looking at me. The paramedics are on their way. You're going to be alright, Lou. I promise."

Harry knew he shouldn't promise such things. Not when he didn't know for sure that he was telling the truth. But what else could he do? He just needed Louis to stay awake. Just until the ambulance arrived, and they could take care of him.

He put his hand over Louis' on the shorter boy's stomach, hoping to slow down the flow of blood. He could see Louis slipping further and further into unconsciousness, and he wouldn't lose him. He couldn't. He just needed him to stay awake.

"Louis, please." He begged. "Just keep your eyes open. Just a few minutes longer." He whispered.

He heard the ambulance far off in the distance and he squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment. They'd be here soon, and Louis would be alright.

There were a few people clearing the street, making room for the cars and vans with loud sirens to get through to the boys. There was one ambulance and two police cars. A woman got out of the police car, instructing that everyone stay around for questioning. Harry felt awful, for the police, and for the fans. For the innocent fans who had to witness this horrible occurrence, and would now be questioned about it. And for the police officers for having to question so many people, all because they were gathered to greet a band they adored. It wasn't right.

Harry watched as two men lifted Louis onto a gurney and followed them to the ambulance, "I'm coming with." He told them.

"Alright. Hop in." The man said, and Harry did, and then the doors were closed behind him, and they were speeding off to the nearest hospital.

Harry assumed that the lads were following behind in the car, and hoped that he was right, because he wouldn't be able to handle all of this on his own. Wouldn't be able to sit in the hospital by himself.

He watched as Louis zoned in and out of consciousness, not able to form any words to ask the men in the back of the van if Louis would be alright, or if they knew what sort of damage had been done.

They arrived at the hospital, and Louis was carried inside, Harry following along behind quickly. They got into the building, and Louis was wheeled down a hallway. Harry tried to follow, but was stopped. Told he wasn't allowed to go any further unless he was family.

He didn't have it in him to argue just now, and so went to sit in a chair in the waiting room, feeling numb, and not knowing what to do now.

He waited for a bit, hoping the other three lads would come rushing in and tell him what to do and where to go from here, but no one came. He walked over to the front desk, and waited for the woman behind the counter to get off the phone.

"Can I help you, dear?"

"Um, yes." Harry began, slowly. "I've just...I've come in with my friend, just a bit ago. He was stabbed and I just...I need to see him."

"You said he was your friend?" The woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then I'm afraid I can't let you go back. With such serious cases we don't allow anyone back, aside from family, until the patient is in stable condition."

"No." Harry said. "No, you don't understand. I have to see him."

"What's his name, dear?" The woman asked, moving her head and causing her short hair to bounce from side to side just slightly.

"Louis Tomlinson." Harry said.

"Have you filled out the paperwork for your friend yet?" The woman asked.

"I...No?" Harry said, not knowing that he would need to fill out any paperwork.

"You'll need to do that, sweetie." She said, handing him a stack of papers. "You are the only one here with him, right?"

Harry nodded dumbly.

"Then, yes. Alright. Fill out the paperwork, and once you're finished I'll let you know how he's doing."

Harry took the paperwork and sat down in one of the hard chairs in the waiting room. He looked down at the words on the page, none of them making sense, his brain muddled with worry and anger at not being let back to see Louis.

To his luck, Liam, Zayn and Niall walked in just moments later.

"Where is he?" Niall asked.

Harry pointed to the doors that led to the hallway he'd been taken down, "I'm not allowed back, because I'm not family. And they've given me all this paperwork and I don't know what any of it means and the words are all running together and now I can't see because..." Harry trailed off, sniffling. "Because I'm starting to cry. And I just want to know if he's alright. I just want to see him and hold his hand and tell him it's going to be alright. Please." Harry ended, brokenly.

"Give me the paperwork, mate." Liam said, taking the paperwork from Harry. "I've got this. You just work on getting back there to see him."

"They won't let me, Li. I'm not family."

"Well, Lou's family isn't here, are they?" Liam said. "They've got to let someone back, and it had better be you."

"C'mere, mate." Zayn said, wrapping an arm around Harry and leading him to the front desk. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, dear?" The woman asked.

"We've got our mate working on Louis' paperwork, and I'd just like to ask that you let my mate here back to see Louis."

"I've already told your friend, only family. I truly am sorry, but it's just our policy. Until he's in a stable condition, you'll have to wait out here."

"Listen." Zayn said, leaning in close to the woman. "Harry is Lou's boyfriend, yeah? He needs to see him."

"I'm sorry." The woman said. "I just can't let him back there."

"When's he going to be stable?" Harry asked weakly.

"I can't tell you that, honey. I won't know until the doctors call up here and let me know." She smiled sadly. "I suggest you go sit down. Just rest."

"But he's going to be okay?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure. From what I hear, the wound was pretty deep, but I don't think it hit any vital organs." She paused, picking up a phone and listening intently before hanging up. "That was one of his doctors now. He's going into surgery. Just a little one, cleaning out the wound and stitching it up. It sounds as if he should be alright. The doctors will be out when he gets out of surgery."

"Thank you." Harry muttered, and Zayn led him away, his arm still firmly around Harry's shoulders.

"He'll be alright, Harry." Zayn whispered to him as they walked away from the front desk.

"I hope you're right."

"They still not letting you back there?" Liam asked.

"Nope." Zayn answered. "I even pulled out the boyfriend card. Didn't care about getting in trouble, but she seems to have no clue who we are, so I doubt anything will get out anyhow."

Liam shook his head, though whether at Zayn's carelessness, or Harry's inability to see Louis, Harry didn't know.

"They said he's going into surgery." Harry mumbled.

Niall came over, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly, "He'll be alright, mate."

"You all keep telling me that, but I won't believe it 'til I see him." Harry said, squeezing closer to Zayn's side, just needing a bit of comfort.

Liam finished the paperwork then, taking it up to the counter and giving it to the woman.

There were other people in the waiting room now. A few girls sitting across from them were looking at them curiously. They were obviously fans, but Harry thanked every deity possible that they seemed to be respectable enough to leave them alone in the situation they were in.

Harry loved their fans, he truly did, but if anyone tried to talk to him right now he was sure he would snap. All he wanted was to see Louis.

An hour passed, and Harry stayed curled up to Zayn's side, the three lads sitting around him offering him words of encouragement every so often. Harry really appreciated it, because he knew they were worrying as well. They were all Louis' friends. But Harry couldn't help but think that he cared just a little bit more, being Louis' boyfriend. That he was just a little bit more worried. A little bit more afraid that something would go wrong, and he'd lose Louis forever. He didn't think he'd be able to take it.

A doctor came out then, coming over to the four lads huddled together in the waiting room, "Are you the lads that came in with Mr. Tomlinson?" The man asked.

Harry's head whipped up, and he nodded quickly.

"He's out of surgery. He's still unconscious, but he should be waking up at any moment. The wound was deep, but whoever did it either wasn't aiming to kill, or didn't know anything about basic human anatomy, because he missed all the vital organs by quite a wide margin. I've stitched him up, and as long as he rests, he should be just fine."

"Thank you." Liam said.

The doctor nodded, "Only one of you can go back and see him at a time, I'm afraid."

Harry shot up out of the chair, standing in front of the doctor. He looked back at the other lads, making sure it was alright for him to go first.

"Go, Harry." Zayn said.

"You can just stay back there the whole time, mate." Niall said. "We'll see him when he gets out, or when he can have a few visitors at once, yeah?"

"Thank you." Harry said, tears in his eyes.

"Anytime." Liam said. "Now go."

Harry followed the doctor down the hall, stopping in front of a door as the doctor opened it, "Go on in."

Harry nodded, walking in to the room and pulling up a chair, setting it right next to Louis' bed, and taking Louis' cold hand in his.

Harry stared down at his boyfriend who was lying still on the bed, his eyes closed peacefully. Harry took a deep breath, composing himself for when Louis woke up. He leaned down, lightly kissing Louis on the forehead. He felt tears collecting in his eyes again, and he had no reason to be crying anymore, he thought. Not really. Louis was going to be fine. He was alive, and he was going to be okay.

Louis' eyes blinked open slowly, and his hand tightened around Harry's, returning the hold, "Hazza?"

"Boo Bear!" Harry smiled. "I'm so glad you're awake, love."

"We missed the interview." Louis said.

Harry chuckled, his tears falling down his cheeks, even though he was doing his best to stop them, "We missed quite a bit of press today, Lou."

"My fault." Louis said.

Harry knew his boyfriend was joking, but it wasn't funny to him at that very moment, "Not your fault, Lou. You got stabbed, you know?"

"I remember that vaguely." Louis nodded. "I'm sure the police are going to want to speak to me?"

"I'd assume. I dunno." Harry shrugged. "I rode in the ambulance with you. I know the police were making all the fans stick around for questioning. No one seemed to have seen who hurt you, though. Probably for the best, though, because I would've chased them down and that's not the kind of publicity we need."

"I can just see the headline now." Louis joked. "Raging Curly beats up man with knife for stabbing his distracted boyfriend."

"Bandmate." Harry corrected. "In the papers you're my bandmate."

"You'd make sure they got it right." Louis smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, I would."

"Thank you for staying with me, Harry. After I saw all the blood everything's a bit fuzzy, but I know you were right by me the whole time."

Harry nodded, "Wouldn't let you close your eyes. Didn't wanna lose you."

"And here I am." Louis said. "So you must've done your job right."

Harry chuckled. He should be the one brightening Louis' mood right now, and yet it was the other way around. Things always were a bit topsy turvy with them anyhow.

"This bandage itches." Louis complained.

"Well, don't scratch it. We don't need you undoing your stitches."

"How funny would it be, though, if we were on stage tomorrow, and I scratched along my tummy, and then my spleen just fell out?"

"What meds have they got you on, Lou?"

"None. I'm just glad to be alive, and that I got to wake up to your gorgeous face."

"And yet you want your spleen to fall out in front of all our fans, scarring them for life."

"You know someone would put it on the internet."

"Everyone would put it on the internet." Harry chuckled. "I doubt you'd be laughing at the time, though."

"Don't you know me at all, Harold? I can turn everything into a joke. I'd probably have you lot play a bit of football with it."

"Sorry, babe, but I'm not playing football with my boyfriend's spleen no matter how much he wants me to."

"Harry, I'm hurt." Louis joked.

"Shut it, you. Just don't mess with the stitches."

"I promise, Hazza."

"Good."

"Kiss me." Louis ordered.

"Of course." Harry smiled as he leaned in, connecting his lips to Louis'.

Louis kissed him back lightly, and when Harry pulled away he noticed Louis fiddling with his hospital gown.

"Hey." Harry said. "Stop trying to scratch. I know the stitches itch, babe, but you'll make it worse if your try to scratch, especially through the gauze."

"But Harry. It itches."

Harry grabbed Louis' hands, kissing them both, and then holding them firmly in his lap, "And once they're healed they won't. So just leave them be."

Louis nodded, and Harry smiled.

Everything would be fine, so long as Louis could keep from scratching at his stitches.


End file.
